Chapter 70

Chapter 70: The Seventieth Night

That night, the rain did not cease, and the wind wildly tossed the white drapes in front of the Song family's gate. The entire Lian household anxiously awaited the return of their young master, while some petty men, sleepless, schemed endlessly.

Tangzi Hutong was brightly lit, with lanterns and torches illuminating the rainy night as if it were broad daylight. The walls, covered with landscapes and calligraphy on both sides, were splattered with countless bloodstains. Because it was an old alley, there were many mottled cracks, and the rain could not wash them away. Six men had died, all sons of official families, so the Five City Patrol Office’s Commander, the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and the Imperial Guard Office all arrived at the scene. The first to be questioned was Ming Shu’s maidservant.

"Did you hear any sounds of fighting?"

"No, I did not. I only knew they had walked far away, and I opened the door to check after they left." The maidservant had fainted earlier and had been revived with several bowls of medicine. Her face was still pale, and she trembled all over.

"Did you see any strangers lingering here tonight?"

"No."

Before they had asked many questions, they heard a long sigh. Everyone turned to see a carriage rushing in urgently. Before the driver could set down a stool for disembarkation, the carriage curtain was yanked open, and a fair-complexioned, bearded middle-aged man jumped down. Though dressed in plain clothes, they were of fine brocade. He pushed aside the umbrella offered by a servant and strode toward the scene.

"Where is my son? Who killed my son?!" He rushed over, and a captain lifted a white cloth to reveal the corpse on the plank for the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies. "Lord Chen, please accept my condolences."

The man, seeing his child, who had been lively just days ago, now with his head separated from his body, immediately went weak in the knees, his legs turned to jelly. Two servants supported him from the sides, and he could not speak a single complete sentence.

Then, the families of two other deceased arrived to identify the bodies—one was the Prefect of the Household of the Heir Apparent, the other was a Director of the Bureau of Personnel Appointments in the Ministry of Personnel. Wailing and crying filled the place, and the crowd couldn't help but feel sorry for them.

The two coroners then arrived. They pulled aside all the white cloths; one took notes while the other examined the wounds on the corpses. During this process, the families of the remaining two deceased arrived. Unable to disturb the coroners, they only covered their mouths and wept in the back. Several officials stood under umbrellas nearby, discussing in hushed tones how to handle such a severe and vile case.

"One of them is Commander Meng's nephew. That man is a demon and quite favored by His Majesty. If we cannot give him a satisfactory explanation, given his temperament, we might not survive next year's capital inspection."

"The Left Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review is Lord Lian. The Lian family is also favored by His Majesty. Why not send for him, saying the case is urgent and severe, and ask the Old Master to investigate?"

"Lord Lian is as slippery as an eel and as cowardly as a rat. If you say it's urgent and severe, he'll just say that the Court of Judicial Review only handles cases for review after you've finished your investigation."

"Lord Lu," one official bowed to Lu Qingyan, Commander of the Five City Patrol Office and father of Lu Zhen, "you have a close friendship with Eunuch Cui, the Director of the Palace Secretariat. Why not write a letter and ask him to come and see?"

Lu Qingyan said solemnly, "That won't do. We should jointly draft a memorial and submit it directly to His Majesty. Such a major case is beyond our authority to decide."

After some hesitation, they finally devised a plan. The coroner then came back with a report:

"Of the six deceased, one died from a slit vein, not a blade wound—possibly caused by a piece of roof tile. Four died from chest wounds caused by something like a club. The last one, although there is a wound on the neck, that wound was not fatal. He was beheaded while still alive. The other five were beheaded after death."

"I also found that the blade used on the last victim matches the wound on a corpse I examined recently in the Imperial Jail."

The other three officials didn't catch on right away, but Lu Qingyan understood what the coroner referred to. Though the Imperial Guard Office had conducted a secret arrest, his Five City Patrol Office was not idle. He knew the coroner was referring to the blade that Lian's Third Lang used to kill a captain. He stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "Are you referring to the blade carried by Lian's Third Lang?"

The coroner said yes.

"Ridiculous!" Lu Qingyan shouted. "Lian's Third Lang was imprisoned in the Imperial Jail yesterday. How could he have come out to kill again? Besides, any one of these men could have taken him down alone. How could he single-handedly kill six?"

The coroner quickly replied, "Please, Old Master, calm down. I do not mean that the murderer is the same person."

"Lord Lu, please calm down. Does that young man have a seal imprint on his face? Let the coroner also check?" Another official walked over with hands behind his back.

The coroner followed and said, "I have examined it. The seal was stamped while he was alive. Though I have recorded it, I don't know whether it was stamped by the young men as a prank or by the killer."

Lu Qingyan strode over, crouched down for a closer look, and his expression changed drastically. Cold sweat poured down, and he was terrified out of his wits.

"Lord Lu, be careful!" Someone came to support him, asking what was wrong.

"A tiny sprout! A tiny sprout!" Lu Qingyan suddenly shouted hysterically, as if laughing and crying at the same time.

When the crowd gathered around to calm him down, he said, almost mad: "A huge tree grows from a tiny sprout! This seal is not an ordinary one—it is the personal seal of Grand Secretary Cai of the Previous Dynasty!"

Everyone's faces went pale with shock and fear. Suddenly, a thunderclap sounded over the Divine Capital, and thousands of households flickered between light and dark. Undercurrents surged like a giant fish stirring, and layers of rain clouds gathered like a hidden dragon roaring.

Shortly after, someone else reported to Lu Qingyan that on the ancient road, in a village, a craftsman from the Imperial Guard Office had been massacred—his entire family wiped out.

One official asked for details, and the reporter said:

"In the morning, an old man carrying vegetables to sell in the city passed by the Wu house. Seeing the door ajar, he called out, but got no answer. He leaned sideways and used his carrying pole to push the door all the way open. Instantly, he was so horrified by the sight inside that he dropped his two baskets of vegetables and ran, shouting that people had been killed."

The dead were craftsmen from the Imperial Guard Office, renowned throughout the Divine Capital for their skills. During the previous emperor's reign, the Wu family patriarch was deeply versed in forging and tool-making. By Wu Qiu's generation, it was the third generation. As old hands of the office, and having received praise from the previous emperor, the village head sent someone on a fast donkey to report it.

Lu Qingyan grabbed him and asked, "Did any of the dead have a seal stamp on their face?"

The man was startled. "Old Master, how did you know the Old Master Wu had a seal on his face without even seeing him?"

Another official emerged from behind Lu Qingyan. "Is the seal imprint 'A tiny sprout'?"

The man replied, "No, it is 'A pervasive flow throughout.'"

Many others did not understand this and asked Lu Qingyan, "Lord Lu, is this also a rebel party?"

Lu Qingyan closed his eyes, his mind in turmoil. "That I do not know."

"Since it is related to the rebel party, it is best to submit a memorial quickly."

-

At the hour of Mao, the imperial guard cracked the whip. Officials in court robes and holding tablets entered the Fengtian Gate, divided into east and west rows. They bowed once and kowtowed three times, then presented their memorials in the open court.

Suddenly, one man disregarded the proper order of petitioning, stepped out of the queue, knelt before the throne, and spoke in a voice as clear as a bell: "I, Lu Qingyan of the Five City Patrol Office, submit a petition concerning the reemergence of the rebel party of the Previous Dynasty’s Cai family!"

The emperor, who had been lounging casually on his throne, suddenly felt his hair stand on end at the mention of the Cai rebel party. He shot to his feet, his *yishan* crown nearly falling off. After a long pause, he spoke softly, "Tell me in detail."

Lu Qingyan first recounted the Tangzi Hutong case, then the massacre of the Wu family on the ancient road, and finally mentioned that Lian Cheng, Commissioner of the Imperial Guard Office, had been imprisoned for murder. He said, "The coroner's examination shows that all victims from the three scenes were killed by the same kind of blade. In my opinion, the rebel party first had the Wu family forge a blade identical to Commissioner Lian's, then used it to commit murder, framing Commissioner Lian. Once Commissioner Lian was imprisoned, Princess Jifu, who had been frail for years, would surely not survive this blow, and the Lian family would lose Their Majesty's support!"

"Then, the rebel party wiped out the Wu family to prevent the forging from being exposed, but before leaving, they stamped Commissioner Lian's personal seal on the Wu family patriarch's face, intending to frame him again."

"Subsequently, they massacred six sons of officials, which is a direct provocation to His Majesty and the court!"

After hearing this, the emperor slowly sat back down, leaning on his chair. "Let me take a moment to think."

The entire court fell silent, barely breathing. When the rebel party was involved, they dared not say a word.

Only one man stepped forward—Meng Chong, Commander Meng. After paying his respects, he sneered at Lu Qingyan, saying, "Lord Lu has a wonderful scheme. Commissioner Lian, furious that his subordinate had disobeyed him, killed in anger. His father, enraged that the office's craftsman did not protect his son, also killed. And after killing, they even stamped their personal seals to defy the laws of the Great Yao..."

"Shut up, Meng Chong!" someone shouted angrily. "What evidence do you have that my father and third brother killed anyone? My father cannot even carry a load or lift a hand, and my third brother wouldn't even kill a chicken! How could he kill a living person?!"

Lu Qingyan responded with an equally cold sneer at Meng Chong, saying, "And what insight do you have into the murder of your nephew and his group of young friends? Was it also the Lian family's doing?"

"Perhaps the Lian family colluded with the rebel party, working together from inside and outside," Meng Chong said lightly.

The Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, who had been standing in the ranks, could no longer bear it. He straightened his black gauze cap, clutched his tablet, and hurried forward, pointing at Meng Chong with his tablet, demanding loudly, "My Lian family is wholeheartedly devoted to the sovereign and the people. We rendered great service in eradicating the rebel party back then. Our household is now flourishing. Why would we collude with the rebel party?"

Meng Chong turned to face Lian Feng, his eyes filled with a sea of corpses and mountains of blood. Lian Feng, a scholar, felt as if a demon were staring at his back. Meng Chong said, "Even if your third brother is innocent, my nephew and his young friends were taken by heaven. The seal on the Wu family patriarch's face is your father's personal seal. How do you plead for that?"

Lian Feng could not answer. Only Lu Qingyan continued to argue, "Does Commander Meng leave his own personal seal as a signature every time he kills someone?"

"The Lian family has become too arrogant since gaining power. I may not do it, but Lord Lian might."

"Commander Meng is being unreasonable," said another official, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, stepping out of the ranks. "In my opinion, this matter might be Commander Meng's doing. Let me explain to Your Majesty point by point. Commander Meng saw Commissioner Lian rising quickly and feared for his own position, so he plotted to frame him. As the highest authority in the office, it was easy for him to have the craftsman forge a blade identical to Lian's, thus successfully framing him."

"After that, naturally, he massacred the Wu family to block the source, then stamped a seal imitating Lord Lian's personal seal, pushing the murder onto Lord Lian. Then, on his way home, he encountered his nephew and his group of young companions causing trouble on Tangzi Hutong. Furious that they would not live up to his expectations, he killed them one by one! Commander Meng, do you think I've—"

Meng Chong, hearing this endless nonsense, grew furious and threw his tablet at the Vice Minister of Justice. The Vice Minister dodged, righted his black gauze cap, and asked, "What do you think you're doing, hitting me?"

The Emperor above, watching them argue endlessly, couldn't be bothered to intervene. Only when they were about to come to blows did he ask, "Lian Pu, what is your view?"

Lian Pu, who had not spoken, stepped out from the ranks. He shuffled forward with quick, small steps, bowed, and said, "Your servant has not killed anyone."

"And your Third Lang, has he not killed anyone either?"

"He would not dare."

The Emperor, propping his head up, continued, "But the murder weapon was indeed his blade."

"My son is still in prison. How could he have escaped to kill?" Lian Feng said urgently.

"Perhaps he hired a hitman?" Meng Chong speculated.

"Commander Meng, mind your words." A clear, unhurried voice came from behind. The crowd turned to see Vice Minister of Works Lian Xiusheng, the Lian family's Sixth Lang, also stepping forward to speak. Holding his tablet, he walked gracefully forward, elbowed Meng Chong aside, and stood in the center.

Lian Xiusheng once again appeared poised and elegant. When he spoke, the Emperor no longer looked impatient but listened more intently.

"Vice Commissioner Lian was imprisoned because the blade was the evidence. While he is still under suspicion, why would he hire someone to use the same blade to kill several more people? What sense does that make?" Lian Xiusheng glanced lightly at Meng Chong, calm and unruffled.

Meng Chong ignored him. "Your father's private seal appeared at the Wu residence. How will you talk your way out of that?"

"My father has many private seals, nearly eighty in total, but he has never stamped any calligraphy or painting. It is because he is humble by nature and feels his character is insufficient, fearing he would sully the artwork. If he treasures artwork so, how much more does he treasure human life?" Lian Xiusheng clasped his tablet lightly and smiled faintly. "But Commander Meng has had no dealings with our family, so naturally you would not know. Why don't you bow to my father as your adopted father today? Then you might make fewer foolish mistakes in the future."

"You—" Meng Chong was about to step forward but was restrained by an official nearby.

Having silenced Meng Chong, Lian Xiusheng turned serious and addressed the Emperor. "I implore Your Majesty to see clearly. My entire Lian family is loyal and filial. Today, my father and elder brother have been baselessly linked to the rebels. This is the rebels bearing a grudge against the Lian family for our service to the throne and seeking revenge."

"Lord Lu's words are not without reason. The Wu family's craftsmen were once praised by the late Emperor. How could an ordinary civilian or official command them? And even if they could, how would they know my elder brother's blade came from him? It is most likely a high-ranking officer within the Embroidered Uniform Guard Office. Your servant believes this is entirely due to Commander Meng's negligence and dereliction of duty."

The Emperor pondered, remaining silent for a long time. The civil and military officials below were also deathly quiet. A mocking smile curled on Meng Chong's lips. Lian Xiusheng was still too young and too arrogant, thinking a few words could bring down a dignified Commander.

After another long pause, the Emperor cleared his throat and said wearily, "Proclaim my oral decree: Meng Chong is demoted by one rank. Release Lian Cheng from the imperial prison. Additionally, promote Lian Cheng to Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."